After exiting elementary school, a considerable number of struggling adolescent readers who are not reading on grade level exists, especially in high-poverty schools. For secondary teachers to develop proficient readers, their instructional methods need to prepare students to master skills, such as their ability to read accurately and with fluency, and their ability to understand and gain knowledge from grade-level text. However, secondary teachers are not prepared to handle these instructional tasks. This study focuses on examining the challenges of insufficient college preparation and professional development opportunities in foundational reading skills for middle/junior high school teachers in high-poverty districts. A qualitative phenomenological approach and design were used to conduct one-on-one, semi-structured interviews with 11 secondary teachers to describe their preparations, perceptions, and experiences in incorporating instructional reading strategies and skills to struggling adolescent readers in high-poverty, middle or junior high schools. The conceptual framework for this study was Charlotte Danielson's Framework for Teaching, which included four domains: planning and preparation, classroom environment, instruction, and professional responsibilities. This framework connected to the study by examining teachers' perceptions of their planning and preparation to determine how struggling adolescent readers' needs are met or not met through the classroom environment, instruction, and on-ongoing professional responsibilities of teachers. Five themes emerged from the findings: 1.) lack of prior knowledge of reading foundational skills; 2.) differentiation strategies for their struggling readers with emerging subthemes adapting teacher resources and strategies and modification of assessments; 3.) developing rapport through classroom environment; 4.) meeting diverse students' needs with emerging subthemes: teachers' anticipation of student misconceptions, teachers' reflection of teaching practices, and importance of parental communication; and 5.) teacher collaboration as professional development. This study is beneficial to colleges, universities, and school districts to better equip future and current educators with the necessary tools and resources to meet the needs of struggling adolescent readers. This study places a focus on improving literacy skills of struggling adolescent readers past elementary school in which the achievement gap has widened significantly especially in high-poverty schools. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]